Education Minister Paul Givan has welcomed the strong engagement with the Curriculum 2028 consultation, which drew more than 4,300 submissions from teachers, school leaders, parents, young people and other education stakeholders across Northern Ireland.

The department said the scale of feedback makes it one of the most significant curriculum consultations in recent years, providing a robust evidence base to guide the next stage of reform.

A consultation report published today indicates widespread support for the overall direction of Curriculum 2028, while also identifying areas requiring further development ahead of finalising the framework.

Welcoming the report, Paul Givan said: "I want to thank everyone who took the time to engage with this consultation. The scale of the response reflects the importance that teachers, school leaders, families and young people place on ensuring we have a curriculum that prepares our children and young people for success in education, work and life.

"The consultation shows broad support for the overall direction of travel. Respondents recognised the need for greater clarity, stronger progression and a curriculum that sets out more clearly the knowledge, skills and experiences that children should acquire during their education."

He noted that while there was significant backing for the ambitions of Curriculum 2028 and many subject frameworks, respondents also pointed to areas for refinement. He continued: "The consultation responses are highly valuable. They show strong support for many aspects of the framework. I have always been clear that Curriculum 2028 must be developed with the profession. Teachers are at the heart of successful curriculum reform and their feedback will continue to shape the final curriculum. "The consultation has highlighted important issues around curriculum content, progression and implementation. We are carefully considering that feedback and continue to work closely with schools, teachers and educational partners to refine the proposals where necessary."

The Minister said the department remains focused on ensuring the curriculum is both ambitious and deliverable. He said: "Getting this right matters. Curriculum reform is one of the most important opportunities we have to raise standards, tackle educational disadvantage and improve outcomes for every child. That is why we are taking the time to listen, reflect and refine before implementation."

Mr Givan also announced a further programme of engagement with schools and the teaching profession over the coming months, with every school invited to nominate teachers for dedicated curriculum focus groups to help shape the final framework and its rollout. He continued: "I want as many teachers as possible to have an opportunity to contribute to the next stage of this work as we ensure implementation is informed by classroom experience.

"Curriculum reform is a once in a generation opportunity. The consultation has provided a strong foundation for the next phase of development, and I am determined that we continue to build a curriculum that is ambitious, coherent, knowledge-rich and capable of delivering better outcomes for all our children and young people."

The Consultation Report is available at: www.education-ni.gov.uk/consultations/consultation-northern-ireland-curriculum-2028. The final Curriculum 2028 framework is expected to be published in January 2027, alongside further information on implementation arrangements.